HANCOCK COUNTY, Ohio — While there's still plenty of work to be done, Hancock County and the City of Findlay are celebrating a milestone in their flood mitigation efforts.
Last week, Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn announced that the National Weather Service had officially raised the flooding level for the Blanchard River in Findlay.
The two lower flood stages were raised by one foot, and the two larger flood stages raised by a foot and a half, meaning Blanchard River levels will have to rise higher than before to be considered one of these flooding classifications.
"What this will allow, is our community will not have to be on edge every time we're approaching even an action stage, because we really don't see an impact on property or threat to life really until the 14 to 15 ft. stage at this point," Muryn said.
This announcement comes two-and-a-half years after ground was broken for a major benching project to alleviate some flooding levels.
The announcement leaves leaders optimistic about the future, as currently there is a second benching project already planned, and a large flooding overflow basin is also being developed, meaning those updated flooding levels are sure to be updated again in the near future.
"We do have a little bit of a crystal ball of what this looks like when we incorporate all of those pieces. And when I go out and speak to groups, we show them that and say this is what we're working toward, this is the ideal endpoint here when we get this whole system put together," Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development Director Tim Mayle said.
These flood levels only gauge a flooding event's impact on property and roads. The real difference will be to have that stretch of the Blanchard River's flood plain updated, which will take place once all of the flood mitigation projects are complete.